Stars Shine in Newport Beach

The nouveau best and brightest of Hollywood were recently honored in (where else?) Newport Beach, at The Resort at Pelican Hill on a sunny Sunday morning. The carpet was red, the sky a clear blue, and the ballroom that guests shuffled into once the elegant outdoor brunch ended was swirling with neon lights as brilliant…

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The Woman Who Loves Giraffes: A Review

By Lexi Rafael Unless you’re seriously into giraffes, you’ve probably never heard of Anne Innis Dagg. Referred to by some as “the Jane Goodall of giraffes,” Anne was a true pioneer and the subject of the documentary, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes. In the mid-1950s, at just 23 years old, Anne took off for South…

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Film Review: Major Arcana

By Lexi Rafael It’s somewhat awkward at first for the busy, modern mind to slow down and catch onto the rhythm of Major Arcana. This is a visual poem, unconcerned with a strict adherence to standard film formula. There’s no high drama, no edge-of-your-seat stakes. Instead, we’re faced with a rather quiet story. A man…

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Inspired by Alva

This weekend I attended the world premiere of The Tony Alva Story presented by Vans at the Newport Beach Film Festival. The screening took place inside Lido Theater, Balboa Peninsula’s one-screen wonder plumped with 1920s decadence and bygone cinematic drama. (The glittering marquee! The thick, red curtain! The wide seats! The Vans-sticker-wrapped stage! The SHOW!) It was a…

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What to Watch: Newport Beach Film Festival Environmental Film Series

The Newport Beach Film Festival starts tomorrow, and in the days leading up to this grand, cinematic event, we’ve been going over some series you could watch if you’re into fun things like action sports or architecture. Today, we present you with the Environmental Film Series, a “curated program of documentary films designed to raise…

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Art, Architecture + Design Film Series Brings Aesthetics to Cinematic Life

The Art, Architecture + Design (AA+D) Film Series at the 2019 Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) will feature nine feature films and seven short films that showcase art, architecture, design, modernism, photography, sculpture, urban planning and immersive art. According to an official festival release, “The series highlights emerging and prominent artists, visionaries and icons of…

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What Not to Miss Next Week: The Action Sports Film Series Presented by Vans

Just like last year, this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival (the 20th iteration of its kind) will feature an entire swathe of films dedicated to action sports and adventure. The set, titled Action Sports Film Series will celebrate “athletes, visionaries, filmmakers, cinematographers, pioneers and designers who have shaped the action sports culture and cultivated its…

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The Dish on the 2019 Newport Beach Film Festival Culinary Film Series

From serious gourmands to casual foodies, the 20th annual Newport Beach Film Festival (April 25 – May 2) is set to satisfy lovers of epicurean cinema in big way. The Culinary Film Series will showcase nine films that celebrate world-renowned chefs, the art of gastronomy, international food culture, sustainable farming, the craft of winemaking and…

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Newport Beach Film Festival Hosts Free Screening of Art Film

Some might think the Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) is much like the holidays; it comes around once every year with all its fanfare and festive glory then disappears into the ethereal unknown. Except NBFF is actually a year-round celebration of cinema; the team works hard every day to fill our local screens with artsy,…

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‘Time Well Spent’ Lives Up to Its Name

Once in a while, a special film comes along that has the ability to transport you — mind, body and soul —  from the time the lights dim to the time the credits roll. You can’t quite figure out how you’ve changed but when you leave the theater, you feel somehow different. Transformed. Time Well Spent,…

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